How do you get the most bang out of your marketing dollars?

SOURCE: Franchising.com

Restaurant owners can market their business in several different ways. Franchisees pay into a national advertising fund, which provides the resources for the brand to market itself through national advertising campaigns and across social media. They can also promote themselves to customers locally.

Franchise Update asked several restaurant operators how they maximize their marketing dollars. Beyond the franchisor’s national programs, several people talked about the connections they build with their customers at the local level. They can do this through involvement in community events, partnerships with schools, and supporting local organizations.

Most franchises are locally owned, with a team of employees who live in the area. These people have their fingers on the pulse of what is important to the community. Strong relationships and a great customer experience remain two of the most effective ways to earn repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.

Many restaurant franchisees will say having a good team of employees is one of the most important reasons for their success, especially as they operate multiple units. However, turnover in the restaurant industry is common, putting the responsibility on the owners to retain their best people. In this week’s Franchisee Bytes section, we asked restaurant operators what they are doing to take care of their employees. Competitive wages, benefits, free meals, internal recognition, and the opportunity for advancement are all ways they show appreciation. Read their comments below to see how some top multi-unit franchisees are providing for their employees.

Brent Weaver
Company: BWR Enterprises, Inc.
Brands: 3 East Coast Wings + Grill
Years in Franchising: 21

When we first started, we put a lot into local community events and marketed ourselves that way. As East Coast Wings + Grill has grown, so has the national marketing team, and they now handle much of the overall awareness at a brand level for us, providing tools and resources for us to use locally. The franchisor sets brand promotions (with our input) and drives the overall strategy, while we are responsible for being the face of the brand in our community and engaging with our local market.

Victor Miltiades
Company: Home-Grown Industries of Georgia, Inc.
Brands: 3 Mellow Mushroom
Years in Franchising: 26

We focus heavily on local engagement and customer relationships. Mellow Mushroom benefits from a strong brand identity, but local store marketing is where we often see the greatest return. Community events, school partnerships, social media engagement, loyalty programs, and supporting local organizations help us build authentic connections. We closely track promotions and campaigns to understand what drives traffic and repeat business, allowing us to invest where we see the strongest results.

Matthew Keiser
Company: Paxton Keiser Enterprises
Brands: 22 Taco John’s, 1 Nothing Bundt Cake
Years in Franchising: 8

On a local level, we typically market our brand through community engagement, like highlighting local events on our social media or featuring an “Athlete of the Month” for the local schools. We have also explored sponsorship marketing, usually centered around our employees’ personal passions, like community theater or softball teams. We always have an ear to the ground for what matters most to our employees and try to support where we can.

Soo Heu
Company: Heu Hawaii LLC
Brands: 2 Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
Years in Franchising: 3

I focus on maximizing the customer experience first. The best marketing is delivering great food, excellent service, and a clean restaurant, so customers come back and recommend us to others. I also leverage social media and invite local influencers. Rather than spending heavily on broad advertising, I focus on building customer loyalty and generating word-of-mouth referrals, which tend to provide the best return on investment.